Oceanside, Calif. (January 2025) — Oceanside, California, is excited to kick off 2025 with the new Swell Plates Series, a month-long culinary celebration aimed at highlighting the area’s vibrant dining scene and supporting local restaurants during the quieter winter months. Aligning with California Restaurant month and running January 15 through February 13, 2025, the Swell Plates Series invites diners to explore the culinary artistry that has made Oceanside one of San Diego’s most exciting dining destinations.
“Oceanside’s dining scene continues to impress and delight, earning numerous awards and accolades for culinary excellence,” says Leslee Gaul, CEO of Visit Oceanside. “This is a fun way to highlight our city’s diverse array of indulgent-worthy dining experiences, each with its own unique spin on our destination’s flip-flop fine dining style.”
From fresh fish purchased directly from Oceanside Harbor’s boat-to-consumer Fishermen’s Market to locally grown produce from South Morro Hills, participating chefs are crafting exclusive dishes that embody Oceanside’s “swellness” spirit. These one-of-a-kind dishes will be marked on menus with the “O’side Season of Swellness” logo and reflect the community’s passion for creativity, sustainability, and local ingredients. Featured restaurants include 14 of Oceanside’s most beloved eateries, including the bar at Michelin starred Valle, Bib Gourmand Dija Mara, allmine, 24 Suns, Wrench & Rodent Seabasstropub, The Plot and more, each offering their own signature dishes inspired by the city’s coastal vibe and agricultural heritage.
One of the standout offerings, inspired by Oceanside Museum of Art’s Getty-sponsored Transformative Currents exhibit, is from 24 Suns, a new restaurant started by two former chefs of Michelin three-starred Addison. The dish is served in an abalone shell bowl, an homage to one of the exhibit’s striking pieces. Inside the shell is a layering of rice noodles to evoke plastic, black abalone and smoked vegetable mole representing oil, and sustainable bycatch sausage symbolizing hope— resulting in an innovative melding of art and environmental awareness.
“Our visit to OMA’s Transformative Currents exhibition was incredibly moving, as it highlighted the devastation in our waters while inspiring reflection and action,” said Chef Nic Webber of 24 Suns. “To honor that message, we’ve created a dish that embodies the exhibition’s themes, incorporating elements of the artwork itself. Our dish is delicious while symbolizing hope and encouraging embracing seafood choices that help restore balance to our oceans.”
Other swell plate examples include allmine’s partnership with Loose Leaf herbalists to create a nutrient-rich, hand-pulled burrata salad, with organic greens, winter vegetables, and a botanical herb dressing, celebrating Oceanside’s agricultural roots and healing coastal energy; and Chef Davin Waite’s “Living” Fisherman’s Special at Wrench & Rodent Seabasstropub showcasing the week’s freshest catch from the Oceanside Fishermen’s Market, one of only two boat-to-consumer markets in San Diego, and amplifying his acclaimed sustainable ethos and zero-waste philosophy.
The Swell Plates Series isn’t just about great food—it’s also about fun and rewards! Diners who try three or more dishes from participating restaurants can enter to win an Oceanside getaway. Plus, sharing photos of their “swell plates” on Instagram and tagging @VisitOceanside could earn them gift cards to participating restaurants. Swell Plates Series passports will be available at participating restaurants or the California Welcome Center Oceanside beginning January 15. It’s a fun way for diners to track their journeys and enter to win exciting prizes while discovering new flavors around town.
For more information about the Swell Plates Series, including a list of participating restaurants, featured dishes, and a downloadable mobile guide, visit http://www.visitoceanside.org/swell-plates-series.
24 Suns
Lighthouse Oyster Bar & Grill
333 Pacific
ABOUT VISIT OCEANSIDE
Visit Oceanside Conference and Visitors Bureau is the trusted travel authority for Oceanside, California. As Oceanside’s official tourism marketing organization, Visit Oceanside promotes travel to the city for both leisure and group visitors. The organization influences about one-third of the $589 million that is generated by visitor spending in Oceanside each year, which supports nearly 3,900 jobs. Visit Oceanside also operates one of the state’s official California Welcome Centers. With just one stop, visitors can find local, regional and state maps, purchase discount tickets to major Southern California attractions, make hotel reservations or shop for the perfect California keepsake. The Visit Oceanside CVB and California Welcome Center- Oceanside are conveniently located just off Interstate 5 at 928 North Coast Highway. For more information, please call (800) 350-7873 or visit www.visitoceanside.org
ABOUT OCEANSIDE
Perfectly situated between metropolitan San Diego and Los Angeles, Oceanside is a quintessential California coastal escape that includes wide sandy beaches, a quaint New England-style harbor, historic wooden pier and charming bungalow neighborhoods. O’side (as locals affectionately call it) is a destination of discovery where visitors can explore everything from California history at the “King of Missions” to surf culture at the California Surf Museum and awe-inspiring sea life through exciting ocean adventures. This playful and fun destination thrives on taking recreation to the next level and boasts world-class surfing, skateboarding, bike riding, boating and even skydiving. A flourishing farm-to-table food and craft beer, wine and spirit scene reflects Oceanside’s creative and infectious local spirit, as do exciting arts and culture programs that earned Oceanside one of just 14 California Cultural District designations in 2017. Classically charming, eclectic and always genuine, Oceanside is an ideal place to stay and a true O’riginal. www.visitoceanside.org
